City invites public review of Recode Version 3

City press release...

COMMUNITY INVITED TO REVIEW THIRD DRAFT OF RECODE KNOXVILLE

The City of Knoxville and MPC are encouraging the public to attend a series of meetings for the Recode Knoxville zoning code update that will be held in October. The third draft of the code and second draft of the map will be presented, and changes that were made from the last round of drafts will be discussed.

Knoxville Area Urban League, SEEED and Centro Hispano have been assisting MPC by gathering input from specific sectors of the city. Two community meetings have been held in partnership with these organizations thus far, and one more is scheduled in October.

There are also five upcoming community meetings that are being hosted in partnership with the City of Knoxville's Office of Neighborhoods. Other opportunities for the public to learn more include a Stakeholder Advisory Committee meeting, two MPC Agenda Review meetings, and MPC's regularly scheduled November meeting. All meetings are posted and updated at www.recodeknoxville.com.

Community outreach for Recode Knoxville began in May 2017, and more than 55 community meetings have been held thus far. These meetings have provided general information about the project, specific information about multiple drafts of the ordinance, and tutorials on the new zoning map.

More than 750 comments have been received since the project began, informing City and MPC staff and consultants of changes needed for each draft of the ordinance. All comments are available to view online at www.recodeknoxville.com.

"We encourage everyone to come to this round of meetings to discuss the latest revisions to the Recode draft. A proposed ordinance will be presented to MPC in November and then to Council for their consideration," stated City of Knoxville Mayor Madeline Rogero.

Knoxville's zoning code hasn't undergone a thorough review in nearly 60 years, and this update will allow the City to adopt modern standards. It also will help protect and enhance Knoxville's sense of place over the next few decades by striking a balance between protecting historic characteristics of neighborhoods and creating standards that encourage dynamic growth. The goals of the updated zoning code are to protect valued community assets, support connectivity among people and places, and encourage investment.

For more information, please contact MPC staff at recode@knoxmpc.org. You can also sign up to receive updates, view public feedback, and find all documents relating to the project at www.recodeknoxville.com.

Anyone needing a disability accommodation to attend the community meetings, Stakeholder Advisory Committee meeting or MPC meetings should contact the City's ADA Coordinator, Stephanie Cook, at scook@knoxvilletn.gov or 865-215-2034. For an English interpreter, contact the City Law Department at 865-215-2050.